Coin separator

ABSTRACT

A coin separator for spacially separating facially adjacent coins is disclosed which includes a pair of laterally adjacent coin conveying surfaces having different profiles whereby each coin of a pair of facially adjacent coins rolls on one of the surfaces and leaves its surface at a different point in time or location than the other coin leaves the other surface. A third surface may be employed to receive coins leaving the laterally adjacent surfaces and change their direction of movement.

0 United States Patent 1 1 [111 3,771,637

Lautzenhiser [45] N 13, 1973 [54] COIN SEPARATOR 3,197,009 7/1965 Okolischan 194/97 R Inventor: gy Glenn Lautzenhiser, FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Magnoha Mass 45,929 2/1889 Germany 133/3 D [73] Assignee: Mars, Incorporated, McLean, Va. 523,068 4/1931 Germany 133/3 D [22] Filed: 1971 Primary Examiner-Samuel F. Coleman [21] Appl. No.: 138,988 Att0mey-Davis, Hoxie, Faithfull & Hapgood 52 us. C1. 194/97 R, 133/1 R ABSTRACT [51 1 Int. Cl. G07f 3/02 A coin separator for spacially Separating faciany adja [58] Field of Search 133/1, 3; 193/20, cent coins is disclosed which includes a pair of lamp 193/21, 32, 194/97-103 ally adjacent coin conveying surfaces having different profiles whereby each coin of a pair of facially adja- [56] References Cned cent coins rolls on one of the surfaces and leaves its UNITED STATES PATENTS surface at a different point in time or location than the 634,506 10/1899 Scott 133 3 c other coin aves th other surface. A third surfaee 1,141,866 6/1915 Christian 194/99 X may be employed to receive coins leaving the laterally ,2 12/1935 Wadsworth 194/101 adjacent surfaces and change their direction of move- 2,052,611 9/1936 DuGrenier 194/103 mem, 2,097,497 11/1937 Mills 194/97 R 2,816,639 12/1957 Miller 133/1 R X 11 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures PAIENTEDauv 1 3 ma 3. 771. 637 SHEET 10? 2 1|\ VAX away ATT

PAIENIEDIIM 13 ms sum 2 or 2 ARGYL'E-GLENN LAUTZENHISER BY I conceivable that two thin coins can be inserted into the coin handling device simultaneously or in rapid succession and could become facially adjacent or, in other words, overlap during their passage through the coin handling device. The coin separator of this invention spacially separates such overlapping coins before the coins reach the primary operative part of the coin handling device, such as the coin examination system in a coin selector, and feeds the coins in single file and sufficiently spaced so that the coin examination system can properly operate upon each coin individually.

In many coin handling devices, coins are inserted into a slot and drop vertically downwardly onto a mechanism such as a support track or other coin support means. In some of these devices it is desirable to absorb the kinetic energy of the moving coin so that the coin is brought to rest before it begins its travel through the coin handling device. The coin separator of this invention in addition to spacially separating coins also pro- FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of a portion of the coin separator of FIG. 1 illustrating the coin spacing member in its second position.

FIG. 4 is a schematic elevational view of a coin separator formed in accordance with a second embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a schematic elevational view of a coin separator formed in accordance with a third embodiment of vides a meander path which absorbs much of the coins kinetic energy so that the coins may be brought to rest easily at the appropriate position in the device.

Briefly stated, this invention in one form provides a combined coin separator and energy absorber. A pair of laterally adjacent coin conveying surfaces or tracks are located below a coin entrance slot and are aligned with the entrance slot or other coin guide means such that coins inserted in the coin handling device drop downwardly toward the coin conveying tracks. If the coins overlap, one coin lands on one of the tracks while the other coin lands on the other track. The profile of the tracks are different and designed to cause the overlapping coins to roll downwardly along the tracks and drop onto a third track located below the first and second tracks at different longitudinal positions along the third track effecting spacial separation of the coins. The third track conveys the coins toward the primary operative portion of the coin handling device.

In order to insure sufficient separation between the coins, a coin spacing member having a conveying surface and an abutment is mounted adjacent to the exit end of the third track. When the first of a plurality of coins roll off the third track and onto the coin conveying surface of the spacing member, the spacing member moves and places the abutment adjacent the exit end of the third track and prevents the next coin from rolling off the third track until after the first coin leaves the spacing member at which time the spacing member returns to its initial position to receive the next coin.

This invention and its objectives will be better understood and appreciated from the detailed specification below taken with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic elevational view of a coin separator formed in accordance with a first embodiment of this invention and illustrating a coin spacing member in its normal position.

this invention, the third embodiment being a slight modification of the second embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a schematic elevational view of a coin separator formed in accordance with a fourth embodiment of this invention.

FIG. is a sectional view taken along line 9-9 of FIG. 8.

Turning now to FIGS. 1 and 2 there is illustrated a coin separator 10 formed in accordance with the first embodiment of this invention. The coin separator 10 in addition to spacially separating coins also absorbs energy from falling coins. It is intended for use in many different types of coin utilizing devices such as vending machines, coin classifiers, change makers or any other type of device which is operated by or operates on coins. Because the device with which the coin separator is used does not form a part of this invention, it is not illustrated or described herein. The device with which the coin separator is used includes a coin inlet or entrance slot 12 into which one or more coins are inserted. Because these devices are intended to accept coins of different denominations, the width of the entrance slot 12 is slightly greater than the thickness of the thickest coin intended to be accepted by the device. With some coin sets this width can be greater than twice the width of the thinner coins thus making possible the simultaneous insertion of overlapping or facially adjacent'coins in the system. This facially adjacent relationship could also occur if two or more coins are inserted in rapid succession into the slot 12 since the coins velocities might vary during their passage through the device causing one coin to catch up to the other.

To absorb kinetic energy from the downwardly dropping coin and to guide the coin toward the coin conveying member 14 a third coin conveying member or abutment 30 is mounted immediately below the entrance slot 12. The abutment 30 does not serve to separate coins but merely slows them and guides them to the beginning of the coin conveying member 14.

In order to spacially separate two overlapping coins, there is provided a coin conveying member 14 formed with a pair of longitudinal surfaces or tracks I6, 18. The tracks I6, 18 are located with respect to each other such that a projection of the tracks l6, 18 on a plane 17 perpendicular to the plane of facially adjacent coins which are supported by the tracks are contiguous at least at one end of the tracks and, preferably, throughout the length of the tracks. This arrangement of the tracks is referred to herein as laterally adjacent tracks. The coin conveying member 14 is mounted on one wall 19 of the device and extends across to an opposite wall 20 spaced from the first wall 19 thereby defining a coin passageway 2l.'The member 14 is sloped downwardly in the desired direction of coin travel so that coins landing thereon roll downwardly on the surface of the member 14.

In order to separate facially adjacent or overlappig coins, such as coins 22, 23 illustrated in FIG. 1, the tracks have, different profiles. One of the tracks, namely track 18, is provided with 'a slot 24 vertically therethrough. As the coins roll down the member 14, the coin that is supported by the track 16 rolls off the lower end 25 of the member 14 while the coin 23 that is supported by the track 18 falls through the slot 24. The slot 24 being spaced from the end 25 of the member 14 spacially separates the coins 22, 23 as they drop downwardly from the member 14, the degree of separation depending upon the spacing of the slot 24 from the end 25 of the member 14.

Another coin conveying surface or track 26 is mounted on the walls 19, 20 of the device below the coin conveying member 14 in such a position that coins rolling off the member 14 and falling through the slot 24 land on the track 26. The rack 26 preferably is formed as a cantilevered leaf spring made from a resilient material. The track 26 is sloped downwardly in a direction different from the direction in which the member 14 is sloped so that the direction of coin travel is changed. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the direction of coin travel is reversed, the coins going from right to left on member 14 and from left to right on track 26. By reversing the direction of coin travel the space occupied by the coin separator is minimized. Furthermore, coin separation is augmented because the coin 23 falling through the slot 24 leaves the member 14 earlier in time than the coin 22 rolling off the end 25 of the member 14. If the lower track 26 was sloped in the same direction as the member 14, the coin 23 would land on the track 26 and roll in the same direction down the track 26 as is the coin 22 rolling on member 14. By reversing the direction of the track 26 and depending upon the degree of slope of the track 26, the coins 22 and 23 reach the track 26 at such times as would at least maintain and possibly increase the spacial separation provided by the slot 24. Additional separation is effected by the cantilever mounting of the track 26 which is accomplished by supporting the track at its exit end 27. By supporting the resilient track in this manner, as the coin 22 lands near the free end of the track 26 the spring like track flexes downwardly retarding the commencement of the coins movement along the track 26. The coin 23 which has fallen through the slot 24 lands closer to the rigid track mount 28 and is not retarded to the same extent that the coin 22 is retarded.

The coin conveying member 14 effectively separates two overlapping or facially adjacent coins. However, the situation may also arise where two coins do not overlap but instead arrive sequentially in such close proximity to one another that their edges are almost in contact. There is a need to spacially separate adjacent coins to enable the device through which the coins pass to function effectively. A mechanism for accomplishing such separation is a spacer such as an escapement 36 pivotally mounted between the walls l9, 20 by means of a pin 38. As is shown in FIG. 3, the escapement 36 is formed with a coin conveying surface 40 and a coin retarding abutment 42. The escapement is eccentrically mounted so that the conveying surface 40 normally is aligned with the upper surface of the track 26. This is accomplished by placing the greater weight on the side of the escapement closer to the track 26 and by providing a stop 44 at an appropriate position to terminate rotation of the escapement 36 when the conveying surface 40 is in its proper location.

As a coin rolls off the track 26 it rolls onto the conveying surface 40 of the escapement 36 and after it passes the pin 38, the torque exerted by the mass of the coin causes the escapement 36 to rotate about the pin causing the abutment 42 to rise and prevent the succeeding coin from rolling across the conveying surface 40 (see FIG. 3). The distance between the pin 38 and the end 27 of the track 26 must be no greater than the radius of the smallest coin which is acceptable to the system to insure that no more than one coin can roll across the conveying surface 40 at any given instant.

After the coin rolls off the escapement 36, the unbalance of the escapement causes the escapement to rotate back to its normal position (FIG. 1) by enabling the next succeeding coin to roll onto the conveying surface 40. By controlling the time duration during which the escapement returns from its second position wherein it blocks movement of coins from the track 26 to its normal position wherein it accepts coins, the minimal spacing between adjacent coins can be controlled. Various ways can be employed to control the return time of escapement. While counterbalancing springs, friction pads and other retarding means can be utilized, a preferred system now will be described.

As may be seen in FIG. 3 the escapement 36 is formed with a pendulous mass 45 having two sections, an upper section 46 and a lower section 47. The upper section 46 includes the coin conveying surface 40 and the coin retarding abutment 42. An arcuate or sector shaped aperture 48 is provided in the lower section 47 and a triangular limit stop 44 is mounted on the wall 19 within the aperture 48. The stop 44 is located with respect to the pin 38 such that the escapement movement is limited between predetermined extremes, namely the normal position shown in FIG. 1 and the second position shown in FIG. 3.

The limit stop 44 also serves as an escapement speed control because it provides a barrier around which air trapped in the aperture 48 must escape as the escapement rotates. The limit stop increases the time for the escapement to return to its initial position after it is rotated by a coin because the escapements gravity induced movement is retarded by flow resistance to the escaping air. The clearance between the stop 44 and the escapement 36 and between the stop and the walls 19, 20 define the size of the passages through which the air can flow and, therefore, the degree to which the return movement of the escapement is retarded and so the minimum spacing between adjacent coins.

In operation, assuming two thin coins are inserted into the inlet 12 facially juxtaposed the coins will fall until they contact the abutment 30 which slows the coins movement and directs them toward the coin conveying member 14. One of the overlapping coins 22 rolls along one track surface 16 while the other coin 23 rolls along the other track surface 18. The coins roll down the tracks of member 14 until the coin 23 on track 18 falls through the slot 24. The other coin 22 rolls along the full length of track 16 and rolls off the end 25 of the member 14. Both coins drop onto the next track 26 but land spaced apart. Because of the reverse pitch of the track 26 the coins now move sequentially toward the lower end 27 of the track 26. If the coins are not suffic'iently spaced apart, the escapement 36permits the first coin to continue moving and delays movement of the second coin. In this manner, the coin separator effects sufficient sequential separation of the coins to enable the defice to properly act thereon.

Turning now to FIGS. 4 and 5, there is illustrated a coin separator 50 formed in accordance with a second embodiment of this invention. The coin separator 50 utilizes a plurality of bumpers or pins 52 which slow down and guide coins admitted to the device through the coin entrance slot 12. The coins are directed toward a'pair of coin conveying tracks 54, 56 which are laterally adjacent to one another. The tracks 54, 56 have different profiles including being sloped downwardly at different angles to the horizontal. For example, track 54 has a shallower slope than track 56 and preferably is longer than track 56.

A cantilevered resilient track 58 is located below tracks 54 and 56 and aligned therewith so that coins rolling off the tracks 54, 56 fall onto track 58. -As can be seen in FIG.'4, track 58 is sloped downwardly in a direction opposite to the slope of the tracks 54, 56 in order to reverse the direction of travel of the coins after they leave the higher tracks and fall onto the lower track. Because of the profiles of the tracks 54, 56 a coin 23 which commences rolling on track 56 simultaneously with a coin 22 rolling on track 54 will arrive on track 58 at a position close to the exit end of track 58 and will be spacially separated from the coin 22 rolling on track 54 thereby accomplishing the spacial separation of overlapping coins in addition to slowing the coins. The coins then roll off the lower end of track 58 and enter the primary operative portion of the device with which the coin separator 50 is used. While a spacer such as the escapement 36 described above with respect to the first embodiment is not illustrated in FIG. 4, it is obvious that such a spacer could be used.

The length and slope of the tracks 54, 56 can be modified considerably to provide the desired separation of coins. For example, as is illustrated in FIGS. 6 and .7, one such modification eliminates track 56 thereby allowing one of'a pair of overlapping coins to drop directly onto a track 58 near the lower end thereof while the other coin rolls on track 54 and is directed towardthe higher end of track 58.

Turning now to FIGS. 8 and 9, there is illustrated a coin separator 70 formed in accordance with a fourth embodiment of this invention. The separator 70 includes an abutment 72, a pair of coin conveying surfaces 74, 76 and a coin conveying track 78. The abutment 72 and coin conveying track 78 are basically the same as those described earlier with respect to the first and second embodiments and the major change involved in this fourth embodiment is the configuration of the coin conveying surfaces 74, 76. In this embodiment, one of the coin conveying surfaces 74 is formed with an undulating configuration in order to retard the movement of a coin rolling there along. The other coin conveying surface 76 is smooth so as not to retard to the same degree as surface 74 the movement of a coin therealong. As can be seen, the slope of the two surfaces 74, 76 is the same and, therefore, coins which overlap will be spacially separated because the coin rolling on surface 74 will roll slower than the. coin rolling on surface 76 and will leave the surface 74 after the coin leaves surface 76. Of course, greater separation can be obtained by mounting the undulating surface 74 with a shallower slope than the smooth surface 76.

The-above descriptions of four embodiments disclose specific configurations of coin separators formed in accordance with this invention. These four specific configurations or combinations thereof are exemplary of the inventive concept taught herein which provides for the use of a pair of laterally adjacent coin conveying tracks or surfaces which have different profiles and because of their profile differences, be they different slopes, surface contour, lengths, etc., coins which commence rolling on or about the same time on both tracks will leave their respective tracks at different points in time and/or space thereby accomplishing the desired spacial separation of overlapping coins. It can be seen that through the use of simple stationary parts which can be inexpensively fabricated and assembled within a coin utilizing mechanism, overlapping coins can be adequately spacially separated so that the primary operative portion of a coin utilizing device can act upon each coin individually even though the coins initially enter the system simultaneously or before reading the primary operative portion of the device assume an overlapping relationship. The use of a cantilevered resilient track below the pair of adjacent tracks and a spacer augments the spacial separation provided by the adjacent tracks and consequently can be used in conjunction therewith.

While the above described embodiments use gravity as the coin moving force, it is apparent that coins can be impelled by other means including centrifugal force, electromagnetic accelerators, etc., or the coins can be accelerated to a useful velocity prior to introduction to the separating means here described.

What is claimed is:

l. A coin utilizing device including a coin spacing means which permit a coin to continue through the separator while delaying a subsequent coin, said spacing means comprising a member having a coin conveying surface and an abutment, said member being mounted for rotational movement between (a) a first position whereinthe coi'n'conveying surface is aligned with a track such that a coin rolling'off said track rolls onto the coin conveying surface and (b) a second position wherein the abutment is aligned with said track to prevent a coin from rolling off said track, the spacing means including means to bias said member toward the first position, said member having an arcuate aperture transversely therethrough and a fixed baffle within the aperture such that as the member returns from the second position to the first position, air in the space defined by the aperture is displaced about the baffle, the rate of air displacement controlling the velocity of rotation of said member.

2. The coin utilizing device of claim 1 further including:

a coin entrance and a pair of spaced walls, a coin separator for spacially separating facially adjacent coins comprising first and second win conveying tracks mounted between the walls, projections of said tracks on a plane perpendicular to the plane of facially adjacent coins on said tracks being contiguous for at least a portion of their length, the profiles of the first and second track being different, and being adapted to permit a coin to roll thereon and off one end thereof,

means to direct a coin inserted in the inlet toward the first and second tracks,

a third coin conveying track below and vertically aligned with at least said one end of the first and second tracks such that coins rolling off the first and second tracks land on the third track, said third track being the track with wich the coin conveying surface of the coin spacing member aligns in the first position.

3. A coin separator including coin spacing means which permits one coin to roll off a track while delaying a subsequent coin from rolling off said track, said coin spacing means comprising a member having a coin conveying surface and an abutment, said member being mounted adjacent an end of the track and adapted for movement between (a) a first position wherein the coin conveying surface is aligned with said track such that a coin rolling off the end of the track rolls onto said coin conveying surface and (b) a second position wherein the abutment is aligned with said track to prevent a coin from rolling off the track, means to bias the coin spacing means toward the first position, said member further including an aperture elongated in the direction of movement of the member, and a baffle mounted within said aperture such that the member moves relative to the baffle causing air within the aperture to be displaced about said baffle to effect retardation of the return of the member from the second to the first position.

4. The coin separator as defined in claim 3 wherein said meber is mounted for rotational motion between said first and second positions and the aperture of the member is arcuate.

5. A coin separator for spacially separating facially adjacent coins comprising first and second coin conveying tracks which are adjacent at an upper portion, the first said track having sufficient width to support only one of two facially adjacent coins, the profiles of the first and second tracks being different and each being adapted to permit a coin to roll thereon and off the lower end thereof, and a third coin conveying track below and vertically aligned with the ends of the first and second tracks, the third track being flexible and having one fixed and one end free to form a cantilever, similar coins rolling off said first and second tracks landing on said third track at different positions with respect to the fixed end such that one coin is retarded by energy absorption by the free end of the flexible third track.

6. The coin separator of claim 5 wherein the first and second tracks are contiguous and of different length.

7. The coin separator of claim 5 wherein the first and second tracks are separated vertically and have different orientations with respect to a horizontal plane.

8. The coin separator of claim 5 wherein one of the first and second tracks undulates to retard a coin rolling on that track with respect to a coin on the other track.

9. The coin separator of claim 5 wherein the first and second tracks slope at different angles.

10. A coin separator as defined in claim 5 wherein the first and second coin conveying tracks are adapted to permit the coins to roll in a first direction and the third coin conveying track is adapted to permit the coins to roll in a direction different from the first direction.

11. A coin separator as defined in claim 5 including spacing means which permits one coin to roll off the lower surface while delaying an adjacent second coin from rolling off the lower surface.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,771,637 I Dated Nove nber 13. 1973 Inventor) Argyle Glenn Lautzenhiser It is certified that error appears in the aboveidentified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Coiumn line 22 "rack" should read --track-.

Column line 20, after "(Fig. I)" delete '--by--.

Column Column 5, line 7, "defice" should read "device"; I

6 line 12 contour should read "contours- Signed and sealed this 23rd day of April 19 711.;

SEAL Attest:

c. MARSHALL DANNf EDWARD T lQFLETCHEIQJRQ Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

1. A coin utilizing device including a coin spacing means which permit a coin to continue through the separator while delaying a subsequent coin, said spacing means comprising a member having a coin conveying surface and an abutment, said member being mounted for rotational movement between (a) a first position wherein the coin conveying surface is aligned with a track such that a coin rolling off said track rolls onto the coin conveying surface and (b) a second position wherein the abutment is aligned with said track to prevent a coin from rolling off said track, the spacing means including means to bias said member toward the first position, said member having an arcuate aperture transversely therethrough and a fixed baffle within the aperture such that as the member returns from the second position to the first position, air in the space defined by the aperture is displaced about the baffle, the rate of air displacement controlling the velocity of rotation of said member.
 2. The coin utilizing device of claim 1 further including: a coin entrance and a pair of spaced walls, a coin separator for spacially separating facially adjacent coins comprising first and second coin conveying tracks mounted between the walls, projections of said tracks on a plane perpendicular to the plane of facially adjacent coins on said tracks being contiguous for at least a portion of their length, the profiles of the first and second track being different, and being adapted to permit a coin to roll thereon and off one end thereof, means to direct a coin inserted in the inlet toward the first and second tracks, a third coin conveying track below and vertically aligned with at least said one end of the first and second tracks such that coins rolling off the first and second tracks land on the third track, said third track being the track with wich the coin conveying surface of the coin spacing member aligns in the first position.
 3. A coin separator including coin spacing means which permits one coin to roll off a track while delaying a subsequent coin from rolling off said track, said coin spacing means comprising a member having a coin conveying surface and an abutment, said member being mounted adjacent an end of the track and adapted for movement between (a) a first position wherein the coin conveying surface is aligned with said track such that a coin rolling off the end of the track rolls onto said coin conveying surface and (b) a second position wherein the abutment is aligned with said track to prevent a coin from rolling off the track, means to bias the coin spacing means toward the first position, said member further including an aperture elongated in the direction of movement of the member, and a baffle mounted within said aperture such that the member moves relative to the baffle causing air within the aperture to be displaced about said baffle to effect retardation of the return of the member from the second to the first position.
 4. The coin separator as defined in claim 3 wherein said meber is mounted for rotational motion between said first and second positions and the aperture of the member is arcuate.
 5. A coin separator for spacially separating facially adjacent coins comprising first and second coin conveying tracks which are adjacent at an upper portion, the first said track having sufficient width to support only one of two facially adjacent coins, the profiles of the first and second tracKs being different and each being adapted to permit a coin to roll thereon and off the lower end thereof, and a third coin conveying track below and vertically aligned with the ends of the first and second tracks, the third track being flexible and having one fixed and one end free to form a cantilever, similar coins rolling off said first and second tracks landing on said third track at different positions with respect to the fixed end such that one coin is retarded by energy absorption by the free end of the flexible third track.
 6. The coin separator of claim 5 wherein the first and second tracks are contiguous and of different length.
 7. The coin separator of claim 5 wherein the first and second tracks are separated vertically and have different orientations with respect to a horizontal plane.
 8. The coin separator of claim 5 wherein one of the first and second tracks undulates to retard a coin rolling on that track with respect to a coin on the other track.
 9. The coin separator of claim 5 wherein the first and second tracks slope at different angles.
 10. A coin separator as defined in claim 5 wherein the first and second coin conveying tracks are adapted to permit the coins to roll in a first direction and the third coin conveying track is adapted to permit the coins to roll in a direction different from the first direction.
 11. A coin separator as defined in claim 5 including spacing means which permits one coin to roll off the lower surface while delaying an adjacent second coin from rolling off the lower surface. 